diff --git a/config/config.go b/config/config.go
index b8ff74b..e8c7b1a 100644
--- a/config/config.go
+++ b/config/config.go
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ type UserPreferences struct {
 	DisableEmojis       bool `yaml:"disable_emojis"`
 	DisableMarkdown     bool `yaml:"disable_markdown"`
 	DisableHTML         bool `yaml:"disable_html"`
+	DisableDownloads    bool `yaml:"disable_downloads"`
 }
 
 // Config contains the main config of gomuks.
diff --git a/ui/commands.go b/ui/commands.go
index 747be1e..a57a78d 100644
--- a/ui/commands.go
+++ b/ui/commands.go
@@ -570,6 +570,13 @@ func cmdToggle(cmd *Command) {
 		} else {
 			cmd.Reply("Enabled Markdown input")
 		}
+	case "downloads":
+		cmd.Config.Preferences.DisableDownloads = !cmd.Config.Preferences.DisableDownloads
+		if cmd.Config.Preferences.DisableDownloads {
+			cmd.Reply("Disabled Downloads input")
+		} else {
+			cmd.Reply("Enabled Downloads input")
+		}
 	default:
 		cmd.Reply("Usage: /toggle <rooms/users/baremessages/images/typingnotif/emojis>")
 		return
diff --git a/ui/messages/base.go b/ui/messages/base.go
index e86b85c..58d9b6e 100644
--- a/ui/messages/base.go
+++ b/ui/messages/base.go
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ type MessageRenderer interface {
 	NotificationContent() string
 	PlainText() string
 	CalculateBuffer(prefs config.UserPreferences, width int, msg *UIMessage)
-	RegisterMatrix(matrix ifc.MatrixContainer)
+	RegisterMatrix(matrix ifc.MatrixContainer, prefs config.UserPreferences)
 	Height() int
 	Clone() MessageRenderer
 	String() string
diff --git a/ui/messages/expandedtextmessage.go b/ui/messages/expandedtextmessage.go
index 424db79..c666613 100644
--- a/ui/messages/expandedtextmessage.go
+++ b/ui/messages/expandedtextmessage.go
@@ -89,4 +89,4 @@ func (msg *ExpandedTextMessage) Draw(screen mauview.Screen) {
 	}
 }
 
-func (msg *ExpandedTextMessage) RegisterMatrix(matrix ifc.MatrixContainer) {}
+func (msg *ExpandedTextMessage) RegisterMatrix(matrix ifc.MatrixContainer, prefs config.UserPreferences) {}
diff --git a/ui/messages/filemessage.go b/ui/messages/filemessage.go
index 3878b56..9fb3499 100644
--- a/ui/messages/filemessage.go
+++ b/ui/messages/filemessage.go
@@ -66,10 +66,10 @@ func (msg *FileMessage) Clone() MessageRenderer {
 	}
 }
 
-func (msg *FileMessage) RegisterMatrix(matrix ifc.MatrixContainer) {
+func (msg *FileMessage) RegisterMatrix(matrix ifc.MatrixContainer, prefs config.UserPreferences) {
 	msg.matrix = matrix
 
-	if len(msg.data) == 0 {
+	if len(msg.data) == 0 && !prefs.DisableDownloads {
 		go msg.updateData()
 	}
 }
diff --git a/ui/messages/htmlmessage.go b/ui/messages/htmlmessage.go
index e476bc9..ff49e57 100644
--- a/ui/messages/htmlmessage.go
+++ b/ui/messages/htmlmessage.go
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ func NewHTMLMessage(evt *event.Event, displayname string, root html.Entity) *UIM
 	})
 }
 
-func (hw *HTMLMessage) RegisterMatrix(matrix ifc.MatrixContainer) {}
+func (hw *HTMLMessage) RegisterMatrix(matrix ifc.MatrixContainer, prefs config.UserPreferences) {}
 
 func (hw *HTMLMessage) Clone() MessageRenderer {
 	return &HTMLMessage{
diff --git a/ui/messages/redactedmessage.go b/ui/messages/redactedmessage.go
index fc34682..56b4822 100644
--- a/ui/messages/redactedmessage.go
+++ b/ui/messages/redactedmessage.go
@@ -65,4 +65,4 @@ func (msg *RedactedMessage) Draw(screen mauview.Screen) {
 	}
 }
 
-func (msg *RedactedMessage) RegisterMatrix(matrix ifc.MatrixContainer) {}
+func (msg *RedactedMessage) RegisterMatrix(matrix ifc.MatrixContainer, prefs config.UserPreferences) {}
diff --git a/ui/messages/textmessage.go b/ui/messages/textmessage.go
index 2e27e33..0bfa27b 100644
--- a/ui/messages/textmessage.go
+++ b/ui/messages/textmessage.go
@@ -102,4 +102,4 @@ func (msg *TextMessage) Draw(screen mauview.Screen) {
 	}
 }
 
-func (msg *TextMessage) RegisterMatrix(matrix ifc.MatrixContainer) {}
+func (msg *TextMessage) RegisterMatrix(matrix ifc.MatrixContainer, prefs config.UserPreferences) {}